Interactions of cells with factors such as same or different types of cells, soluble factors or matrix bound soluble factors, depend on the distances between cells and the factors. For example, breast cancer cells that express epidermal growth factor receptor move towards the source of epidermal growth factor source. Different cells can show different interaction mechanisms such as autocrine, juxtacrine, paracrinem endocrine signaling. Cells can give chemotactic, haptotactic, durotactic responses to different factors. Research in cancer, stem cells, immunology, development, endocrinology, neuroscience etc. require better devices that can investigate interactions of cells with factors such as those mentioned above.
Microfluidics Microfluidic technology provides precise spatial and temporal control, high-throughput analysis, low fabrication costs ve portability. Used material and waste volumes can be as low as picoliters. Using small volumes of unknown or toxic materials provides safe experimental study. Moreover, microfluidic technology can provide means to mimic physiological microenvironments. This feature can help us more realistically study cells in both health and disease states and improve drug testing approches it can also help reduce animal testing.
Devices used today usually focus on providing gradients of soluble factors (Kamm, R. D. et al. Device for High Throughput Investigations of Cellular Interactions. PCT/US2011/054029 2011). However, in vivo, gradients are generated by the sources of factors and agents to be responded to being at different distances. The device of this patent application positions the cells and factors to be investigated at different, distances from each other and thus provides a more physiological setup. In addition the device of this patent application allows simultaneous investigation of different distances in one device